The Midland Valley Railroad in Arkansas Part 2 - Amazon … RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ... 1911...

- THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER November 2017

Volume 31, No. 3 November 2017 Official Monthly Publication of the

ARKANSAS-BOSTON MOUNTAINS CHAPTER NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Chapter No. 188 founded in 1987

2017 DIRECTORY OF OFFICERS President Bob Stark Vice President Al Kaeppel Secretary Malcolm Cleaveland Treasurer Tom Duggan Program Director open Advisory Council Ken Eddy Board Director Larry Cain Editor Mike Sypult

The Midland Valley Railroad in Arkansas - Part 2

A Midland Valley motor car awaits departure in Fort Smith, Arkansas. – Ft. Smith Museum of History photo


ARKANSAS RAILROADS – THEN AND NOW A series of articles on Arkansas railroads both past and present.

THE MIDLAND VALLEY RAILROAD IN ARKANSAS Part 2 - By Mike Sypult

A 1903 product of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, 2-8-0 Consolidation Midland Valley #7 poses for the company

photographer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before delivery to Arkansas. - John Dill Collection

The Midland Valley would return to Baldwin in 1923 and 1925 for five USRA light 2-8-2 Mikados. Brand new

#93 is pictured in Eddystone, Pennsylvania in 1925. - Bill Pollard Collection


No. Wheel Builder Date Drvr Weight Disposition

1 4-6-0 Hicks 1892 51” 75,000 ex PRR, acquired 1903, scrapped 1922

2 4-6-0 BLW unk 51” 75,000 ex (?), acquired 1903

3 4-6-0 Pittsburgh 1890 51” unk ex P&LE 65, acq 1903

4 (1st) 4-6-0 Pittsburgh unk unk unk ex (?), acquired 1903, sold/scrapped 1906

4 (2nd) 2-8-0 BLW 1906 50” 138,000 Camelback

5 (1st) 4-6-0 Pittsburgh unk unk unk ex (?) acquired 1903, sold/scrapped 1906

6-26 2-8-0 BLW 1903-07 50” 138,000

28 unk Hicks unk 61” unk “2nd hand loco, thrown out 5/07”

29 4-4-0 unk unk unk unk “scrapped by 1907”

30-32 4-4-0 BLW 1903-04 69” 17272

33-35 4-4-0 BLW 1904-07 63” 18835

50-55 4-6-0 BLW 1905-06 57” 20900

55 4-6-0 BLW 1906 unk unk ex CVR 7, acquired 1920

60, 61 2-6-0 BLW 1907,06 50” 13300 ex BCG&A 10, 11

70-76 2-8-2 BLW 1917-22 57” 19950

80,81 2-8-0 BLW/PRR 1899,1900 56” 18650 ex PRR 1828, 978, acq. 1917, scr 1927

90-94 2-8-2 BLW 1923,25 63” 24200 based on USRA light Mikado

100,101 0-6-0 BLW 1907,17 50” 12800

110 2-10-0 BLW 1925 56” 21200 ex Osage RY 10, acquired c.1929

Midland Valley Steam Locomotive Roster

NOTES: 16: sold to MNA as no.1, Dec 1927 17: sold to MNA as no.2, Dec 1927 21, 22: sold to SAU&G as 21, 22, renumbered 1004, 1005, then to I-GN 1004, 1005. 50-55: were originally numbered 20-24, renumbered in 1907 to make room for more 2-8-0s.

Midland Valley Consolidation #14 with crew at Greenwood, AR in 1914 - John Dill collection

Second #4

was a 1906

Baldwin

“Camelback

” which fea-

tured a larg-

er firebox

suitable for

burning Se-

bastian

County coal.

Philadelph-

ia, PA -

Baldwin

Locomotive

Works photo


General Electric Gas Electric Car M-4 poses in Muskogee, OK on December 16, 1925. This car was purchased in

1923 by the Midland Valley and was formerly #26 for the defunct Hawkinsville & Florida Southern Railway.

Originally built for the Frisco in 1912 as their #2110. - Bill Pollard collection


No. Type Builder Date HP Notes

M-1 Gas-Electric GE 1913 175 Retired 1934 for parts.

M-2 Gasoline McKeen 1911 200 Purchased from Sand Springs Railway #2 – sold to UP in 1925

M-3 Gas-Electric GE 1916 175 Originally Electric Shortline Terminal 312, acquired 1917

M-4 Gas-Electric GE 1912 175 Originally Frisco 2110, ex Hawk. & Fla. Sou 26, acq. 1923

M-5 Gas-Electric GE 1912 175 Originally Pittsburgh & Lake Erie 500, acq. 1922

M-6 Gas-Electric GE 1912 175 Originally Dan Patch 10, ex. Oklahoma, New Mexico & Pacific

M-7 Gas-Electric GE 1912 175 Originally Missouri & North Arkansas 102, acquired 1927

M-81 Gas-Electric GE 1914 175 Originally Missouri & North Arkansas 103, acquired 1927

M-82 Gas-Electric GE 1935 175 Rebuilt using parts from other motor cars, scrapped Nov. 1954

Midland Valley Passenger Motor Car Roster

Resting between runs in Denison, Texas on July 19, 1954, Midland Valley GE M-8 (2nd) was rebuilt in 1935 using

parts from other motor cars. - Jim Buckley photo, Louis Marre Collection.


It is July 19, 1954 in Denison, Texas and Midland Valley’s M-8 (2nd) awaits a certain fate. In just a few months,

this car would be retired and scrapped in November 1954.- Jim Buckley photo, Louis Marre Collection.

A 1905 first class ticket from Maney Junction,

Indian Territory (where the Midland Valley

crossed the Frisco in Rock Island, I.T.) to Bo-

koshe, Indian Territory. - Bill Pollard collection


The Midland Valley in Arkansas along with other now abandoned railroads in the region south of Fort Smith.

- Map used by permission of Steam Powered Video’s Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America: Prairies East &

Ozarks.


1906 Map of the Midland Valley prior to completion to Wichita, Kansas. The Midland Valley used trackage

rights for 15 miles over the Frisco to enter their yard in Fort Smith. - John Dill collection

On June 14, 1944, Midland Valley Mikado 2-8-2 number 72 sits on the Armstrong Turntable in Fort Smith, Ar-

kansas. - Mike Condren collection


July 8, 1911 Midland Valley Timetable #17 showing the Hoye, Excelsior and Arkansas Districts.

- Bill Pollard Collection

Midland Valley #76, a 1922 product of the Baldwin Locomotive Works in between assignments in the MV’s Fort

Smith, Arkansas yard on July 16, 1944. - Mike Condren collection


December 8, 1929

Midland Valley Public

Timetable. - John Dill

collection


Excelsior’s Railroad

by Mike Condren

In 1903 a railroad was organized to service the coal

mines in South Sebastian County. Three rail lines

were built from Excelsior. One was toward Green-

wood where it connected with the St Louis Iron

Mountain & Southern and served the Fidelity mine

east of Greenwood. Another headed south from Ex-

celsior through the valley toward Hartford and a con-

nection with the Choctaw Oklahoma & Gulf (Rock

Island). The third line headed west toward Hackett

and Rock Island, IT. At Rock Island it connected with

the Frisco line from Ft Smith toward Paris, TX. The

Midland Valley used track age rights on the Frisco to

reach its facilities in Ft Smith. The Midland Valley

line continued from Rock Island toward Muskogee,

Tulsa, and Wichita and points in between. The shops

and headquarters were originally located in Excelsior.

The Excelsior shops are pictured below.

I consider the Midland Valley my family’s railroad.

My grandfather Condren’s first job was in the shops in

Excelsior. He worked his way up the ladder to a posi-

tion of fireman on one of the passenger trains. This

lasted until 1911 when a friend from Cameron, OK

was killed in a head-on collision at Bokoshe, OK.

That upset my grandmother who demanded that my

grandfather quit the railroad for a safer job. He got a

job above ground with one of the nearby coal mines.

In the early days of the Midland Valley individuals

rode horses or walked where they needed to go. Cars

were rare. To meet the need of workers, the railroad

began running numerous passenger trains to get the

miners to work. They were not known as commuter

trains, but they served the same purpose.

Excelsior, Arkansas is milepost 0 with the Midland Valley main line, Hartford, and Excelsior branches radiating

outward. - Mike Condren collection


Here we see the station and a passenger train at Excel-

sior. The headquarters of the railroad were located in

this building.

MV engine and crew in front of the Excelsior, AR sta-

tion in 1910 among those in the picture are Jack Lat-

ham, Bill Maddox, Tom Scott, Jack Beck, and Bill

Keefer.

Midland Valley locomotive 26 and crew in front of the two story depot and headquarters of the Midland Valley in

Excelsior, Arkansas, 1910. - John Dill collection

Excelsior, Ar-

kansas Midland

Valley station

and water tank

on a very cold

winter day.

- Mike Condren

collection


My grandmother Condren gave me the following pic-

tures of a passenger train heading down the line to-

ward Hartford. In the second picture, note Sugar Loaf

Mountain in the background. In Greenwood the Mid-

land Valley tracks ran behind the Jail, home of the

South Sebastian County Historical Society, to the sta-

tion across AR10. - Mike Condren Collection


In addition to my grandfather, a cousin, Bonnie

Condren, became the first female station agent in the

nation at Pawhuska, OK in 1918. She later married a

MV switchman. He was killed in a railroad accident.

She married another MV switchman and settled in

Muskogee. Another couple of cousins from the Pigg

family also worked for the Midland Valley, Frank and

Lank Pigg.

In 1923 the Midland Valley, the Kansas Oklahoma &

Gulf, and the Oklahoma City Ada & Atoka were

bought by the company called the Muskogee Roads of

Philadelphia and the headquarters and shops were

moved to Muskogee, OK.

The husband of my father’s older sister, Richard Skin-

ner, was a miner in the Excelsior area after WWII.

When the mine closed, he hired on to the Midland

Valley as a fireman, later promoted to engineer. Be-

low is a photo of him on the front of his locomotive

while they were stopped in Panama, OK.

Midland Valley westbound with GP7 153 and Engineer Skinner pauses at the Kansas City Southern crossing in

Panama, Oklahoma on August 30, 1962. Panama is milepost 20.8 from Excelsior, Arkansas. - Mike Condren photo


One of his uncles had been the engineer killed in 1958

in the second head-on collision at Bokoshe, OK. (see

the December 2017 ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER) When

he retired, the Muskogee Roads had been purchased

by the Texas & Pacific which was owned by the Mis-

souri Pacific. The Missouri Pacific quickly merged

the T&P into their system. In 1967 the last Midland

Valley train ran into Ft Smith. In 1982 the Missouri

Pacific became part of today’s Union Pacific system.

In 1960 a rumor was going around that railroads char-

tered in Oklahoma were required to carry passengers

in their cabooses. Gordon Mott and I went to the sta-

tion in Ft Smith to purchase a ticket from the agent.

He had not heard this rumor but agreed to check with

headquarters in Muskogee. The response he got from

Muskogee was that he could allow us to ride in the

caboose for free because the paper work would be too

expensive to file all the paper work required. On Au-

gust 6, 1960 we went to the station, met the crew and

got on the caboose. On our ride we first were on the

Frisco line south from Ft Smith. We passed through

the tunnel between Bonanza and Jensen before we

reached Midland Valley rails at Rock Island, OK.

(Maney Junction) There we boarded the second unit of

the locomotive and headed down the line toward Ex-

celsior. At Hackett we crossed the Frisco line to

Mansfield and proceeded to a coal mine east of town.

We set out some empty coal hoppers at the mine and

picked up some loads before returning to Rock Island.

At Rock Island we again boarded the caboose for the

ride to Panama, OK. At Panama we got off and rode

with the crew in a car to a cafe/bus station. After

lunch we caught a bus back to Ft Smith.

Excelsior, Arkansas, August 6, 1960. Midland Valley GP7s 152 and 154 handle today’s switching of the coal

mine. - Louis Marre photo


Hackett, Arkansas Johnson Mine #2 on August 6, 1960. Mike Condren and friends were aboard the Midland

Valley locomotives as they switched this coal mine. - Louis Marre photo

IN NEXT MONTH’S ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER

PART 3 of 3 of The Midland Valley In Arkansas

Midland Valley diesel locomotive roster

The Fort Smith Midland Valley station

The 1958 Bokoshe, Oklahoma head on collision

Transition to MoPac’s Jenks blue

Hartford, Arkansas

Excelsior shops photos

And several color photos from Mike Condren and

Louis Marre

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

John Dill

Dr. Bill Pollard

Dr. Mike Condren

Dr. Louis A. Marre

The late Lloyd E. Stagner, Sr.


YEAR DATE EVENT

1902 Ingersoll group sells the Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf to the Rock Island

1903 June 4 Midland Valley Railroad incorporated

1904 November Line extended from Muskogee to Tulsa, IT

1906 March Glen Pool oil field discovered

1906 May 1 Completed construction to Silverdale, KS – 292.7 miles

1906 June First train entered Arkansas City, KS over MP trackage rights from Silverdale

1906 MV adopts the slogan “Arkansas River Route”

1907 November 16 Oklahoma enters the Union

1910 July 29 MV leases the Wichita & Midland Valley Railroad – extends line to Wichita

1911 September 22 MV enters Wichita, KS – route is now 322 miles in length

1912 January 15 A.W. Lefeber appointed as MV’s General Manager

1923 February 27 The Muskogee Company is organized by the Ingersoll brothers

1926 May 1 The Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf Railway merges with the MV

1930 Midland Valley acquired by the Muskogee Company (“Muskogee Roads”)

1934 October MV discontinues passenger service and institutes mixed train service

1943 November Excelsior to Hartford Junction authorized for abandonment

1953 February First diesel locomotives arrive – GP7’s #151-154

1953 May All steam locomotives on the MV are retired

1958 February 1 Most serious accident of MV history at Bokoshe, AR – head-on with 3 fatalities – locomotives 152 and 153 are destroyed

1964 September 25 Muskogee Roads sold the Missouri Pacific Railroad

1964 October Arkansas City to Wichita, KS abandoned after flood

1967 MV officially merged into MoPac’s Texas and Pacific

1968 Silverdale to Pawhuska, OK abandoned by the MP

1968 Excelsior to Panama, OK abandoned by the MP

1982 September 13 MP sold to the Union Pacific

1984 Pawhuska to Barnsdall, OK abandoned by the UP

Midland Valley Railroad History Timeline Compiled by Mike Sypult ([email protected]) updated October 2017

SOURCES http://www.mopac.org/corporate-history/62-muskogee-lines-mv-ko-g-ocaa http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/smu/00131/smu-00131.html http://www.r2parks.net/MV.html https://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/railway/trainord.htm#Boko

Midland Valley: Rails for Coal, Cattle and Crude - Paperback By Lloyd E. Stagner (Author) - South Platte Press - 56 pages - 1996

http://www.mopac.org/corporate-history/62-muskogee-lines-mv-ko-g-ocaa

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/smu/00131/smu-00131.html

http://www.r2parks.net/MV.html

https://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/railway/trainord.htm#Boko


ABMT NRHS CHAPTER MINUTES ̶ OCTOBER 19, 2017

Meeting of the Arkansas-Boston Mountains Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society at the Reilly

McCarren Transportation Museum, A&M Depot, Springdale, AR. The chapter was called to order at 7 PM by

President Bob Stark. 14 members were present including two visitors, John and Patricia Dill. Members ap-

proved the September 2017 minutes as reported in the October Scrambler.

Reports from officers are as follows: Chapter VP, Al Kaeppel, reminded members present of the important

year-end activities for our chapter which included our volunteer presence and contribution to the 2017 Chil-

dren’s Christmas Train activities.

Al also announced that our annual Christmas dinner party aboard the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad dining

car would take place on Thursday, December 21. Reservations can be obtained from Al when he has received

your money. The cost will be $20 per person. Details of this activity are in the November Scrambler.

Membership chairman, Chuck Girard, distributed a current membership list to all present. A few membership

details still need to be worked out. Local chapter dues are $12 which includes the chapter member and his or

her family.

Tom Duggan, chapter treasurer, was present and gave the chapter financial report.

Scrambler editor, Mike Sypult, reported a significant number of historical rail fans showing interest in our

chapter activities through our website.

Bill Merrifield reported that as the former Scrambler editor, he gave a one year subscription of Trains maga-

zine to the new Scrambler editor in order to take advantage of the numerous railroad historical articles that

Trains magazine makes available to subscribers on their website. This also includes hundreds of reproducible

digital railroad photographs to go with the articles. A motion was made and seconded for the chapter to con-

tinue this valuable resource from chapter funds. Motion carried unanimously.

Chapter President, Bob Stark, gave indication that we will again seek to honor some individual or organiza-

tion that have been instrumental in supporting historical railroad activities.

Train Talk:

Program: The evening’s interesting program was presented by chapter president, Bob Stark. The presentation

was aided by visitor, John Dill, who volunteered his personal computer when our chapter computer was dis-

covered not to be available.

Bill Merrifield, filling in for Malcolm Cleaveland, Chapter Secretary


Chapter Notices

ABMT Chapter of the NRHS Christmas Party, Thursday, December 21, 2017

Once again this year, Brenda will provide us with the A&M Dining Car. Let’s have a large turnout - it is al-

ways fun. The excellent dinner cost per person is $20 each. You will have reservations when Al Kaeppel has

received your money. You can pay at our next meeting in November or send your check to Al Kaeppel’s ad-

dress below:

3831 Tara St.

Springdale, AR 72762.

His phone number is 927-3163. See you there.

Chapter Legal Documentation Update

November 2, 2017

At a Chapter meeting President Bob Stark appointed Al Kaeppel (Vice President) , Chuck Girard

(Membership Chairman)and the undersigned to review the Chapter’s investing policy. Our objective is to in-

vestigate alternatives and submit recommendations for discussion and decision by Chapter members.

Stemming from our discussions that the Chapter may have to open one or more new financial accounts, we

have concluded that the Chapter’s 1987 legal documentation is no longer current. It may not comply with the

standards of a bank or mutual fund company. Some of the changes relate to our IRS 501-c-3 nonprofit status.

As we are a nonprofit we enjoy exemption from Federal income taxes. Donations to the Chapter, whether of

money or goods, are also deductible to the extent allowed by IRS regulations. Our current documentation does

not include important IRS required language.

From a State of Arkansas standpoint we were organized under a 1963 nonprofit law. This law was replaced by

a 1993 nonprofit law that reflects many legal and societal changes. We need to have Articles of Incorporation

and Byelaws that are current. Our documentation also needs to resolve some housekeeping issues that have

grown up over the years.

We thank you for reading this memo. We will keep Chapter members informed as we work on this subject.

Tom Duggan Treasurer


MEETINGS: Meetings of the membership are open to the public on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00pm at the ADA compliant Reilly P. McCarren Railroad Museum at the Arkansas & Missouri Depot lo-cated on Emma Avenue in downtown Springdale, Arkansas. Meetings in winter months are not held when the Springdale public schools are closed due to inclement weather. Visitors are welcome at all chapter meetings.

UPCOMING SPRINGDALE PROGRAMS:

November 16 - Chapter Show and Tell

December 21 - Christmas Party aboard the A&M

January 18, 2018 - TBD

QUESTIONS: Call 479-419-9674 or email us at [email protected]

WEBSITE: www.arkrailfan.com

SUBMISSIONS: Send content (ar ticles, stor ies, photos) for the monthly SCRAMBLER newsletter to Mike Sypult, editor – [email protected] DEADLINE for the next SCRAMBER is the 9th day of each month.

MEMBERSHIP: Local chapter membership is $12 per year . Membership coordinator for the Arkansas-Boston Mountains Chapter is Chuck Girard, 7510 Westminster Place, Fort Smith, AR 72903-4253. Please make checks payable to ABMT NRHS. Regular membership for the National Railway Historical Society is $50 per annum and Family Membership is $54 per annum. Please refer to the NRHS website www.nrhs.com for complete details.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.arkrailfan.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.nrhs.com

The Midland Valley Railroad in Arkansas Part 2 - Amazon … RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ... 1911...

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